"Brain Rot" and "Manifest"

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"This blog is a task given by Dillip Barad Sir"

 The word of the Year 

Introduction:

The tradition of selecting a word or phrase to represent the year's most important words or expressions, known as the Word of the Year originated in Germany in 1971. The American Dialect Society (ADS) started the English-language version in 1990, and it's the only one that's announced after the calendar year ends. The ADS' is determined by independent linguists and is not influenced by commercial interests. 




Oxford Word of the Year:


The Oxford Word of the Year is chosen based on data from the Oxford English Corpus, a massive database of over 2 billion words. The selection process considers:

1. Frequency of use: The word must have seen a significant increase in usage.
2. Geographic spread: The word should be used across different regions and languages.
3. Cultural relevance: The word should reflect significant cultural, social, or linguistic trends.

Some recent Oxford Words of the Year:

 2022: "goblin mode" (a slang term for embracing one's messy, imperfect side)
  2021: "vaxxer" (a person who has been vaccinated against COVID-19)
 2020: "pandemic" (a widespread outbreak of a disease)



What is brain rot?

In Internet culture, brain rot  refers to any Internet content deemed to be of low quality or value, or the supposed negative psychological and cognitive effects caused by it.[1] The term also refers to excessive use of digital media, especially short-form entertainment,[2] which may affect cognitive health.[medical citation needed] The term originated within the online cultures of Generation Alpha and Generation Z, but has since become mainstream.[3]Wikipedia

The term was named Oxford Word of the Year in 2024, beating other word like demur.[3][4] Its modern usage is defined by the Oxford University Press as "the supposed deterioration of a person's mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content) considered to be trivial or unchallenging".[3]




The first recorded use of brain rot dates much before the creation of the internet - it was written down in 1854 by Henry David Thoreau in his book Walden.

He criticises society's tendency to devalue complex ideas and how this is part of a general decline in mental and intellectual effort.

It leads him to ask: "While England endeavours to cure the potato rot, will not any endeavour to cure the brain-rot – which prevails so much more widely and fatally?"


Cambridge Word of the Year:


Cambridge Dictionary's Word of the Year is chosen based on data from their corpus, as well as suggestions from language experts and the public. The selection process considers:

1. Frequency of use: The word must have seen a significant increase in usage.
2. Relevance: The word should reflect significant cultural, social, or linguistic trends.
3. Interest: The word should be interesting, thought-provoking, or reflective of changing attitudes.

Some recent Cambridge Words of the Year:

 2021: "perseverance" (the quality of continuing to try hard despite difficulties)
 2020: "quarantine" (a state of isolation or confinement, especially to prevent the spread of disease)




The Cambridge Dictionary's Word of the Year has been revealed as "manifest", after a global wellness trend endorsed by celebrities including singer Dua Lipa.

The traditional definition included the adjective "easily noticed or obvious" and the noun "to show something clearly through signs or actions".

It now includes “to manifest" in the sense of "to imagine achieving something you want, in the belief doing so will make it more likely to happen".

But social psychology professor Dr Sander van der Linden, from the University of Cambridge, warned that "manifesting wealth, love, and power has no scientific basis and can lead to unrealistic expectations and disappointment".

What is manifest?

The Cambridge Dictionary Word of the Year, by Cambridge University Press & Assessment, has been published every year since 2015.[9] The word if chosen based on "user data, zeitgeist, and language."[10]



In 2024, Cambridge picked "manifest" as its Word of the Year. Traditionally, the word has been used as an adjective meaning "obvious", or as a verb meaning "to show something clearly through signs or actions". The word was chosen owing to its use by celebrities, particularly on social media, as a verb meaning "to imagine achieving something you want, in the belief doing so will make it more likely to happen".

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